The great flood brought about by Typhoon "Ondoy", brought an unparalleled havoc to greater Manila. There were so many homes and families affected. Some lost their houses and still there are those who lost loved ones due to the flood that literally swallowed whole houses.
As I'm writing this, I and my family are staying with my in-laws. My house was half-submerged in flood water but luckily, everyone is safe and no irrevocable damage was done. The only ones in the house when the flood waters suddenly rose were D 2 and 4, Ethan, hubby, our house help and my 2 dogs. D 1 was on duty while my son was in his apartment in Quezon City.
To make a really long story short, the ones left in the house were stranded because the flood water reached up to neck high on the street level - my hubby's neck and he's 6'1". I fetched D3 in her clinic in Alabang. She and I went about driving for 8 hours looking for ways to get home while I told D1 and my son to stay put. After praying for so long, I can't even tell where the ends and the beginnings of my prayers were, D3 and I finally reached hubby's office where we stayed overnight. The news that I saw on TV horrified me even more especially when I learned that my mama's house was also submerged in flood water and that two of my nephews have lost their houses to the flood. My mama is in Taytay, my two nephews are from Marikina and Cainta - three areas badly affected by the flood. As I called my family on the mobile phone, I told D2 that since the flood was still steadily rising, they should consider braving the flood and walk to hubby's office about 1K away. D2 said the current was strong and since the water level was more than 5 feet, the surrounding area dark, the rain incessant, they'd have a hard time swimming -and that is granting Ethan could swim.
I hung up the phone and for the next two hours prayed like I've never prayed before. God is good. My prayers were answered. First, when D3 and I were still driving around looking for ways to get home, I claimed the I wanted to us to safe and dry by 9:00 P.M. We reached hubby's office by 9:10 P.M. Next I claimed for the rain to stop and for the safety of my family and relatives. My prayers were answered.
The following morning dawned gray and still. I was awakened at 5:00 A.M. by the shrill ringing of my mobile phone. It was my cousin ( Ninang Myrla), the one who just two weeks ago left for New York to attend the funeral of her brother. She was at the airport, stranded. I told her that she just has to wait a bit as the roads to and from Taytay and Cavite were flooded.
By 6:00 A.M. D3 and I were at my in-law's house. Since my sis-in-law as updated, we planned on how to "rescue" the rest of my family stranded in the house. There was no food as the freezer was floating in the basement. The canned goods were of no use to Ethan and D2 for those two don't eat sardines and corned beef. The last can of SPAM served as their meal the previous night. I jokingly suggested that I should buy an inflatable raft. We all laughed but as D3 and I looked eye to eye, she knew that I was going to do it.
SM opened at 10:00 A.M. D3, my sis-in-law and her daughter and I were one of the first costumers that day. I bought 2 inflatables, one big and one small. I was delegated the head of the "rescue" mission. I borrowed a big van, put in the two inflated rafts and asked my sis-in-law's gardener to come with me as co-rescuer. D3 called D2 to get ready for "mom bought 2 rafts to save her precious grandson."
Ethan says good-bye to daughter 2 as he was first to be "rescued"
daughter 4 as viewed at Chippy's (my Shitzu) eye level
The "rescue" mission was a success. Everyone was safe and dry. My son was safe and dry too at his apartment and D1 was able to drive home from the hospital. Her car was one of the few not submerged by flood in the parking area.
One glitch. As I was taking down the oars of the raft from the van, I slipped and dislocated my left thumb. The middle joint was grotesquely angled at 45 degrees so what I did was pulled it right back then had D1 drove me to ER. My thumb has a hairline fracture. The doctor said my presence of mind saved my thumb from a cement cast. My left thumb is in a splint.
As I type with my right hand and three fingers of my left hand, I feel ever so blessed as the only casualty of the "Ondoy" in the family is my dang left thumb. It's swollen and painful but what the heck?! I can live with that.
When I learned that Richard Gutierrez saved Christine Reyes who was on the roof trapped by the flood, I was in awe. Wow! Richard Gutierrez used a speedboat to rescue Christine! The news that Richard refused to take in a baby from a father treading flood water, I was flabbergasted. "Pogi" points went down to zero!
